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Scorpion races:
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Let's summarize what we've covered.

  • Scorpions are unusual among arthropods in that the female cares for the young for a period after they are born.
  • Under normal circumstances, a scorpion does better to run from a predator than to stand and fight.
  • When carrying young, however, the female can't run as fast, and her survival is better if she fights.
  • Scorpions compensate for this cost of parental care by modifying their behavior from a "flight" strategy to a "fight" strategy. This is an example of behavioral flexibility.
  • Researchers studying scorpions in Texas found that females carrying young are indeed slower than those not carrying young, and are much more likely to stand and fight as well.

End of Scorpion Races.

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